Transformers: Steel Reign

[frigidmagi]

And frigid, I know Deathstrike is in the wrong. Deathstrike doesn't think so, but he's not me, human military, or an Autobot. He's a Decepticon warrior who thinks the proper way to deal with repeated insubordination is to brutally kick the shit of the party responsible.

Fair enough.

[rhoenix]

Just FYI, in case I forgot to mention it - Blindside transforms into or out of his car form at about the same speed other Transformers change form. However, he changes into his dire wolf form much more smoothly and quickly, only needing about 2/3 the time to transform.

[frigidmagi]

Just FYI, in case I forgot to mention it - Blindside transforms into or out of his car form at about the same speed other Transformers change form. However, he changes into his dire wolf form much more smoothly and quickly, only needing about 2/3 the time to transform.

*raises bullshit flag*

[rhoenix]

*raises bullshit flag*

I'm not seeing how this would be bullshit. I posted that to convey that he can transform slightly faster and more elegantly into his dire wolf form for description, but not fast enough to affect game play or pull Werewolf-style Kailindo maneuvers.

This is meant to show something personality-wise about him; that he once viewed his dire wolf form as a curse, and over the past several thousand years ended up being more comfortable with it than his car form, that he started with as Firetrack.

[SirNitram]

Triple-changers go between alt-modes ridiculously fast. Blindside's speed is actually more limited than the other Trips.

[rhoenix]

Triple-changers go between alt-modes ridiculously fast. Blindside's speed is actually more limited than the other Trips.

Thank you for pointing that out - even with that, I'll keep his changing speeds as they are above. He is a triple-changer, but as DS and I discussed, he'd likely be an earlier model of them. He was an experiment by Shockwave in that regard, and was as such not optimized or really "finished" - if he were, he'd not only transition between forms faster, he'd also have built-in guns or other weaponry beside his claws.

So, he transitions into dire wolf form faster than he can transition into other forms, but that's it.

[Dark Silver]

we didn't talk about the built in guns.


On average, Triple Changers can change between their forms at twice the speed of a normal transformer, as Nitram has pointed out.

And no, he won't be pulling off WtA style Kalindo moves by Transforming between modes in the middle of combat, not unless he wants to have more holes in him than Swiss Cheese that's been passed through a live fire gun range.

[rhoenix]

we didn't talk about the built in guns.

Because he doesn't have any, according to his history; I never brought it up with you due to that.

On average, Triple Changers can change between their forms at twice the speed of a normal transformer, as Nitram has pointed out.

I grant that, but those are also finished and "polished" ones, which Blindside is not, unfortunately. So, the only one he can shift more quickly with is his dire wolf form, and that's at 2/3 the time, not 1/2.

And no, he won't be pulling off WtA style Kalindo moves by Transforming between modes in the middle of combat, not unless he wants to have more holes in him than Swiss Cheese that's been passed through a live fire gun range.

Exactly. It's unfeasable, even if he could transform in half the time - that's still time spent not shooting, not dodging, not parrying, and not getting the hell out of the way of incoming attacks.

[rhoenix]

...What's horrible about this is that I know what's probably going to end up happening to Blindside, even if he doesn't.

[LadyTevar]

Havoc? Rheonix?

BRAVO!

[Dark Silver]

And such ends the exsistence of Unit: Blindside.

rheonix, feel free to submit a new character.


That was very cathartic.

[LadyTevar]

wait.
WTF?! he's DEAD?!??!

[Dark Silver]

by the Autobot's own auto-cannons to.

how ironic...

[LadyTevar]

Torn up, needing a lot of repairs, yeah... that's what I was expecting. But DeadDEAD?!

[rhoenix]

*blink*

I almost expected him to die when I started with the scene, but I didn't expect it afterwards.

Right, new character.

[Cynical Cat]

Taking notes boys and girls?

1) Don't annoy the GM. I'm thinking Kung Fu Bot 9000's constant requests for special stuff, even if none of it was excessive, didn't help matters.

2) When the area you're in gets completely hammered by massive firepower, hand waving an escape with a few minor burns won't work. Good reasons only folks.

I can't speak for DS, but #2 is an especially grievous sin. Now, considering Nitram's on body three, I think Kung Fu Bot should merely be sucking down another protoform, not dead. That's a smack to the snout with a rolled up newspaper while giving him a chance to learn. It's not like a GM is ever short of opportunities to kill players.

[rhoenix]

1) Don't annoy the GM. I'm thinking Kung Fu Bot 9000's constant requests for special stuff, even if none of it was excessive, didn't help matters.

I pestered DS, yes, but I didn't constantly "constantly request him for special stuff." The ludicrously short-lived magic invisibility field was a fuckup on my part, but I admitted that, and spoke with DS directly about it before continuing. I didn't ask for anything else from him that I can recall, though I do admit to constantly asking him about various things.

2) When the area you're in gets completely hammered by massive firepower, hand waving an escape with a few minor burns won't work. Good reasons only folks.

I like your assumptions here. Though I'm conceding the outcome overall, Havoc and I worked on that whole scene together once he was finished with his other duties. In fact, I can't speak for him, but I stayed up rather late finishing it. I was rather proud of how it came out, even if it ended up being his epitaph.

He and I discussed the details of the maneuver you're talking about, and he and I both thought leaping from the hillside toward Reaper was a way, however unorthodox, to not get carpet-bombed anywhere near as badly as if he'd simply stayed there. Given the aftermath however, the outcome would have been logically the same.

[LadyTevar]

I agree with Cyncat, give the dog-bot a new protoform.

After all, I think after the missile shower to where Stryke was lying in stasis-lock, he'll be needing a new Protoform as well.

[Cynical Cat]

I pestered DS, yes, but I didn't constantly "constantly request him for special stuff."

It doesn't bother me, but you did. Stealth, invisibility. Fast changing. Being wishy-washy over your forms. Go reread the first part. Nothing was unreasonable, but the constant asking can get annoying. It didn't bother me, but I know it annoyed at least three other people in the game.

2) When the area you're in gets completely hammered by massive firepower, hand waving an escape with a few minor burns won't work. Good reasons only folks.

I like your assumptions here.

You were ground zero for the first volley, which beat the hell out of the area. After that was when you were dodging. You should have suffered significant damage. You didn't. GM's see too much of that shit in these kinds of games. It's waving a bloody flag.

Do I think DS over did it? Yep, I said so. He went overboard, but you didn't help yourself.

[rhoenix]

It doesn't bother me, but you did. Stealth, invisibility. Fast changing. Being wishy-washy over your forms. Go reread the first part. Nothing was unreasonable, but the constant asking can get annoying. It didn't bother me, but I know it annoyed at least three other people in the game.

I grant that I may be over-reacting due to still being somewhat in shock, but now I'm curious about the items you mentioned.

Stealth - this was a facet of the character from the beginning of his creation, before I played. How did I ask for extra in this case?

Invisibility - yes, this was my fuckup, as I mentioned above. However, when it was brought up, I edited the post that referenced it, and spoke with DS directly, as I mentioned. I'd chalk this one up to "new player mistake."

Fast changing - In reading this very same page of this thread, it was established that he doesn't get "fast changing," compared to what would be considered normal for triple changers. In fact, he's slower. This was something I volunteered for character flavor, much like his absolutely horrible shooting accuracy. In what way was this asking for too much?

Being "wishy-washy over your forms" - this one I simply don't get. Explain this one please, since he was designed from his inception to be a triple changer, with a Lamborghini Reventon as his car form, and a dire wolf as his second alt. form.

If I annoyed anyone with any of these above, then none of them spoke to me directly about it that I can recall. If I did indeed annoy people with the above, let them speak their concerns so I may address them, however postmortem they might be now.

You were ground zero for the first volley, which beat the hell out of the area. After that was when you were dodging. You should have suffered significant damage. You didn't. GM's see too much of that shit in these kinds of games. It's waving a bloody flag.

In re-reading that post, I gave him burns over most of his body. However, perhaps you're right on this count - parts of him might have been blown off by the rockets, rendering him unable to transform, perhaps. Even so, the outcome had already been pre-determined between Havoc and I. Blindside was going to get his IFF module torn out, and he was going to get bombarded by the auto-cannons when he hit the ground.

Even with that though, I tried to establish that he began leaping at Reaper right after the first explosions occurred, so he wouldn't have incurred as much significant damage as he might have a second later.

Do I think DS over did it? Yep, I said so. He went overboard, but you didn't help yourself.

I openly admit half of my reaction to your posts is shock.

If I had been PM'ed by DS or he had made a post in this thread saying "hey, you should have taken more damage from the rockets, edit your description in those posts," then I may have asked for clarification, but I would have done it.

[Cynical Cat]

It's the constant stream of stuff rhoenix, not what you're asking for but that the perception is that you're always asking. I And no, they won't always say so to your face. Some of the antics around the gaming table over the last years has made me very direct on this matter. If I thought you were going to get whacked over this, or if it bothered me, I would have told you.

Burns on robot armour translates to dick in damage from an incident that should have really hurt. And it's not just the one incident, its the fact that GMs have to deal with power creep and power gamers who will bootstrap their way to more power with every little bit they can sneak passed.

[rhoenix]

It's the constant stream of stuff rhoenix, not what you're asking for but that the perception is that you're always asking. I And no, they won't always say so to your face. Some of the antics around the gaming table over the last years has made me very direct on this matter. If I thought you were going to get whacked over this, or if it bothered me, I would have told you.

Though I can argue the points individually, I agree with you on the count of perception, in re-reading my previous posts in this thread. My "oh by the way" posts might have appeared as if I were trying to pull a "lol surprise" type of thing, despite me just trying to add character flavor.

And I do appreciate your being direct, despite my initial shock at the situation.

Burns on robot armour translates to dick in damage from an incident that should have really hurt.

That point I agree with, and concede. Despite having a dead character, I'll go back and edit that post to show that he got more than burns.

And it's not just the one incident, its the fact that GMs have to deal with power creep and power gamers who will bootstrap their way to more power with every little bit they can sneak passed.

I completely agree with you on the psychology of powergamers who try to keep pushing the envelope. However, in my own defense I did purposefully (and seriously) handicap my character in other regards, which was an attempt to show that I wasn't trying to turn Blindside into my personal Gary Stu.

[Cynical Cat]

Please remember my primary point is that DS did overkill. Minor character stuff is best expressed in game. That expresses flavor. Doing it OOC doesn't do that, it just looks like you're adding to your stat block.

[rhoenix]

Please remember my primary point is that DS did overkill.

I'm not going to comment on that.

However, I will say I just finished editing my posts in the scene leading up to his death to show that he had much more than a few burns. However posthumorous it might be, you're right - he should have take more damage, and it would take away from the flow of the story for it to be otherwise.

Minor character stuff is best expressed in game. That expresses flavor. Doing it OOC doesn't do that, it just looks like you're adding to your stat block.

Understood, and noted. In making the mistakes I did playing this character, I've learned enough from him to, with all hope, avoid the same pitfalls in the future.

[Dark Silver]

Never let it be said I'm not....a gracious GM....

The Autobots will dip into their fast depleting stores of protoforms....and Blindside will be reborn...

with stipulations which I've already gone over with rheonix...


I'll make the nesacry post when I return from my shower.